The Valour and the Horror

World War Two, saving private ryan, Second World War, W.W.II

Cmdr. PRIEN As quoted in "The Valour and the Horror"

A German commander dramatised in "The Valour and the Horror."

On the Black Watch advance:

02:16:10:00 We noticed a body of infantry -- about three to four hundred men - advance south. This was most impressive and perplexing. The soldiers were marching upright, holding rifles across their breasts in readiness, as if on parade drill. In spite of strong fire from our forces at May, scarcely anybody looked for cover. It looked like...waves of men, rolling steadily forward, no sign of panic despite their visible losses. They did not go for cover but kept on marching upright. To us, soldiers with four or five years of experience in Russia, this was an almost unreal sight. The attack faded out...as actually there was nobody left over. It had been, well, sheer butchery. The last picture I remember is ah, a few Canadian soldiers, mostly wounded, trying to get north. You should know we did not fire on retreating men. We had been too deeply impressed, and embarrassed, by this sacrifice and gallantry of a battalion which had no chance against our position, no close air support and meager artillery. I think the dominating feeling was, let these poor men get home safely.